A roof unused: Texans punt on opening their stadium to the elements

So ahead of the 2005 Houston Texans home opener, with game-time temperatures forecast in the low 90s, the head coach asked team officials to keep the Reliant Stadium roof open. The heat, he reasoned, would roast the Pittsburgh Steelers in their black jerseys.

Alas, no. The Steelers were indeed on fire, but not in the way Capers hoped. They sacked quarterback David Carr eight times, beating the Texans 27-7. Capers would be sacked at season’s end, too, after the team finished with a record of 2-14.

But the legacy of his let’s-roast-the-Steelers decision lives on.

After the game, fans were merciless in their complaints about the heat – writing the Chronicle, calling radio and television stations and, most of all, calling the Texans.

“We’ve had a lot of communication with our fans,” team owner Bob McNair understated later in the season.